Bike Thefts are not on the Rise in Toronto, but if you live in one of these areas a bike lock may be a great investment

Tips for Toronto Cyclists to Prevent Bike Thefts

Author

Talia Fabregas

Downtown Neighbourhoods Have Higher Numbers of Bike Thefts Due to Higher Cyclist Volume

This might seem concerning, but let’s walk through the data. Many Toronto cyclists bike in these neighbourhoods, so here is some analysis.

Yes, the highest concentration of bike thefts in 2023 is in and around the downtown core. No, this does not mean your bike is more likely to get stolen downtown.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of reported bike theft locations from 2023 and City of Toronto designated bike parking locations. The two maps have one thing in common: the highest concentration of dots is in and around downtown.

Although we saw consistent trends in the breakdown of yearly bike thefts by premise type between 2014 and 2023 across the City of Toronto, different neighbourhoods have different high-theft premises. There is variation among the top 10. Most bike thefts in the Yonge-Bay corridor took place outside or by a commercial building; this makes sense because there are very few residential buildings in that area and many office buildings. It is likely the busiest area of Toronto ?@fig-top10premises

The 10 Neighbourhoods “Notorious” for Bike Thefts

Unsurprisingly, the ten neighbourhoods that have had the most bike thefts since 2014 are in downtown. But is your bike really at a higher risk of being stolen in the Yonge-Bay Corridor than any other Toronto neighbourhood? Not necessarily.

There are different premise type patterns among the top 10 Toronto neighbourhoods with the most bike thefts since 2014. The bars show the total number of bike thefts and the different colours within each bar show the number of bike thefts per premise type in that neighbourhood since 2014.

This section focuses on 2023 because the bike parking location data I obtained is from 2023. Bike parking locations in 2023 may not have existed back in 2014.

5 most affected neighborhoods and premises where bikes were stolen from in 2023

North York, near Yonge and Finch, saw a high concentration of bike thefts in 2023. This is particularly concerning because the bike parking facility data obtained from Open Data Toronto shows no City of Toronto bike parking facilities in that area or at that intersection. This indicates that cyclists who live in the neighbourhoods surrounding Yonge Street in North York may be at a higher risk of having their bikes stolen. If you are a cyclist who lives in North York near Yonge Street and you leave your bike outside at any time of day, it might be a good idea to invest in an effective bike lock.

Your bike is not more likely to be stolen downtown

If Your Bike Gets Stolen, You Probably Won’t Get it Back

While living in one of these neighbourhoods may not put you at a higher risk of having your bike stolen, the already slim chance of finding a stolen bike is virtually non-existent.

Premises

Timing

Data-Driven Tips for Toronto Cyclists

Consider Storing Your Bike in Your Garage or Apartment

These areas have high numbers of bike thefts due to high cyclist volume

If you live, study, or teach in the University neighbourhood, consider double-locking your bike

North York is a quiet hot spot

If you leave your bike unattended in any of these neighbourhoods, there’s no evidence that it’s at a higher risk of being stolen, but you are less likely to get it back if it is stolen